The present invention relates generally to an improved communications system and in particular to an improved method and apparatus for processing calls. Still more particularly, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for dynamically rejecting calls.
Products and services are provided to telephone subscribers through a number of mechanisms including intelligent networks and switches. Intelligent networks allow delivery of services and features in an economic fashion. Some of the services provided to subscribers include a find me service, a follow me service, a call routing service, and an outgoing call restriction service. A find me service allows calls to be forwarded to another location while a follow me service allows a number to be forwarded on a time schedule. An outgoing call restriction service allows restriction of calls to specific numbers, prefixes, and area codes. Additionally, other services provided include caller identification, which provides a telephone number and name associated with the calling terminal. Switches are often provisioned with function and may provide features independently of or in conjunction with intelligent networks.
In addition to these services, the use of different types of terminal equipment is increasing. For example, computers may dial and call other numbers to establish a communications link to exchange data. Additionally, facsimile machines are commonly employed to send facsimiles to other parties in lieu of mail. This use of fax machines also includes the sending of advertisements.
These fax advertisements are typically set up using a list of phone numbers. Sometimes, the phone numbers may be for a voice number rather than another facsimile machine. In such a case, a subscriber, such as a person at an office receives a call from an unrecognized number. When the person answers the call, the person discovers that the originator of the call is a facsimile machine by the loud and annoying tone. Many of these facsimile machines will redial and continue to call a number for a certain number of retries to attempt to resend a facsimile. As a result, the person will receive a call again after a period of time. Such a continual recalling of the number is annoying and may be disruptive in an office or home environment. In other cases, if the person does not answer the phone, voice mail or an answering machine often will answer the telephone resulting in large number of messages containing nothing but tones and signals from a facsimile machine.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an improved method and apparatus for rejecting unwanted calls.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for use in a communications system to selectively block or reject calls to a terminal. The mechanism of the present invention allows a user or subscriber at a terminal to easily block annoying or unwanted calls. The user activates the mechanism of the present invention through an activation signal generated at the terminal. The activation signal is typically a feature activation code that is entered after picking up or placing the terminal in an off hook state. By sending the activation signal, an identification of the last call is made and stored. This identification may be, for example, a directory number obtaining the caller line identifier information. When a call is made to the terminal, the stored identification is compared with an identification of the call. A match results in the call being blocked from completing.
The stored identification is stored or retained for a period of time. When the period of time,expires, the stored identification is removed or no longer used, and calls associated with the identification are no longer blocked or rejected. The period of time may be temporary or permanent. The period of time may be set based on the activation signal. For example, different feature activation codes may be used for different time periods.